1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembling apparatus for a transformer, and more particularly to an amorphous metal core (hereinafter amorphous core)/coil assembling apparatus for inserting an amorphous core into a pair of coils to assemble them.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, attention has been paid to transformers which employ a laminated amorphous core. In manufacturing such transformers, great care is required in handling such an amorphous core because of brittleness after annealing due to a characteristic of an amorphous metal.
A process of assembling an amorphous core of the type mentioned and a coil is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 63-501607 wherein, as shown in FIG. 10, an amorphous core 21 formed in a substantially U-shaped profile from a layered amorphous material is first held and secured at inner and outer faces of a pair of legs and an interconnection portion thereof between the legs using a holding unit 23 and then moved in the direction indicated by an arrow mark D along a pair of chutes 24 provided for end portions of the legs of the amorphous core 21 to insert the legs into center holes of a pair of coils 22, whereafter the chutes 24 are removed and the holding unit 23 is removed to release the amorphous core 21 therefrom.
The Prior Art described above has a disadvantage in operability upon insertion of the amorphous core into the coil in that, when the chutes 24 are removed, the brittle material of the amorphous core 21 may be damaged, e.g., cracked or broken, by frictional contact between the chutes 24 and an end portion of the amorphous core 21.
In the process of reaching the Present Invention, the Inventors considered an idea of an assembling process as illustrated in FIGS. 9(a) to 9(e), wherein a pair of caps 8 are first fitted at end portions of a pair of legs of the U-shape of an amorphous core 1, and then the legs of the amorphous core 1 are inserted into a pair of coils 2, whereafter the caps 8 are removed.
However, there still remains the problem that fragments of the brittle amorphous core are produced when the cap 8 is removed by frictional contact between the cap 8 and an end portion of the amorphous core 1. Further, it has been found that, in order to prevent or minimize unexpected movement of the legs of the amorphous core or dispersion of the legs of amorphous cores, it is preferable to fix the amorphous core 1 while the coil 2 is moved in the direction indicated by an arrow mark U in FIGS. 9(b) and 9(c).